the land of footprints-第36节

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You　may　be　sure　we　had　our　arrangements；　though　they　did　not　appear　on　the　surface。　The　askaris；　or　native　soldiers；　were　posted　here　and　there　with　their　muskets；　the　gunbearers　also　kept　our　spare　weapons　by　them。　The　askaris　could　not　hit　a　barn；　but　they　could　make　a　noise。　The　gunbearers　were　fair　shots。

Of　course　the　chief　and　his　prime　minister　came　in。　They　were　evil…looking　savages。　To　them　we　paid　not　the　slightest　attention；　but　went　about　our　usual　business　as　though　they　did　not　exist。　At　the　end　of　an　hour　they　of　their　own　initiative　greeted　us。　We　did　not　hear　them。　Half　an　hour　later　they　disappeared；　to　return　after　an　interval；　followed　by　a　string　of　young　men　bearing　firewood。　Evidently　our　bearing　had　impressed　them；　as　we　had　intended。　We　then　unbent　far　enough　to　recognize　them；　carried　on　a　formal　conversation　for　a　few　moments；　gave　them　adequate　presents　and　dismissed　them。　Then　we　ordered　the　askaris　to　clear　camp　and　to　keep　it　clear。　No　women　had　appeared。　Even　the　gifts　of　firewood　had　been　carried　by　men；　a　most　unusual　proceeding。

As　soon　as　dark　fell　the　drums　began　roaring　in　the　forest　all　about　our　clearing；　and　the　chanting　to　rise。　We　instructed　our　men　to　shoot　first　and　inquire　afterward；　if　a　shenzi　so　much　as　showed　himself　in　the　clearing。　This　was　not　as　bad　as　it　sounded；　the　shenzi　stood　in　no　immediate　danger。　Then　we　turned　in　to　a　sleep　rather　light　and　broken　by　uncertainty。　I　do　not　think　we　were　in　any　immediate　danger　of　a　considered　attack；　for　these　people　were　not　openly　hostile；　but　there　was　always　a　chance　that　the　savages　might　by　their　drum　pounding　and　dancing　work　themselves　into　a　frenzy。　Then　we　might　have　to　do　a　little　rapid　shooting。　Not　for　one　instant　the　whole　night　long　did　those　misguided　savages　cease　their　howling　and　dancing。　At　any　rate　we　cost　them　a　night's　sleep。

Next　morning　we　took　up　our　march　through　the　deserted　tracks　once　more。　Not　a　sign　of　human　life　did　we　encounter。　About　ten　o'clock　we　climbed　down　a　tremendous　gash　of　a　box　canyon　with　precipitous　cliffs。　From　below　we　looked　back　to　see；　perched　high　against　the　skyline；　the　motionless　figures　of　many　savages　watching　us　from　the　crags。　So　we　had　had　company　after　all；　and　we　had　not　known　it。　This　canyon　proved　to　be　the　boundary　line。　With　the　same　abruptness　we　passed　again　into　friendly　country。

（d）　OUT　THE　OTHER　SIDE

We　left　the　jungle　finally　when　we　turned　on　a　long　angle　away　from　Kenia。　At　first　the　open　country　of　the　foothills　was　closely　cultivated　with　fields　of　rape　and　maize。　We　saw　some　of　the　people　breaking　new　soil　by　means　of　long　pointed　sticks。　The　plowmen　quite　simply　inserted　the　pointed　end　in　the　ground　and　pried。　It　was　very　slow　hard　work。　In　other　fields　the　grain　stood　high　and　good。　From　among　the　stalks；　as　from　a　miniature　jungle；　the　little　naked　totos　stared　out；　and　the　good…natured　women　smiled　at　us。　The　magnificent　peak　of　Kenia　had　now　shaken　itself　free　of　the　forests。　On　its　snow　the　sunrises　and　sunsets　kindled　their　fires。　The　flames　of　grass　fires；　too；　could　plainly　be　made　out；　incredible　distances　away；　and　at　daytime；　through　the　reek；　were　fascinating　suggestions　of　distant　rivers；　plains；　jungles；　and　hills。　You　see；　we　were　still　practically　on　the　wide　slope　of　Kenia's　base；　though　the　peak　was　many　days　away；　and　so　could　look　out　over　wide　country。

The　last　half　day　of　this　we　wandered　literally　in　a　rape　field。　The　stalks　were　quite　above　our　heads；　and　we　could　see　but　a　few　yards　in　any　direction。　In　addition　the　track　had　become　a　footpath　not　over　two　feet　wide。　We　could　occasionally　look　back　to　catch　glimpses　of　a　pack　or　so　bobbing　along　on　a　porter's　head。　From　our　own　path　hundreds　of　other　paths　branched；　we　were　continually　taking　the　wrong　fork　and　moving　back　to　set　the　safari　right　before　it　could　do　likewise。　This　we　did　by　drawing　a　deep　double　line　in　the　earth　across　the　wrong　trail。　Then　we　hustled　on　ahead　to　pioneer　the　way　a　little　farther；　our　difficulties　were　further　complicated　by　the　fact　that　we　had　sent　our　horses　back　to　Nairobi　for　fear　of　the　tsetse　fly；　so　we　could　not　see　out　above　the　corn。　All　we　knew　was　that　we　ought　to　go　down　hill。

At　the　ends　of　some　of　our　false　trails　we　came　upon　fascinating　little　settlements：　groups　of　houses　inside　brush　enclosures；　with　low　wooden　gateways　beneath　which　we　had　to　stoop　to　enter。　Within　were　groups　of　beehive　houses　with　small　naked　children　and　perhaps　an　old　woman　or　old　man　seated　cross…legged　under　a　sort　of　veranda。　From　them　we　obtained　new…and　confusing…　directions。

After　three　o'clock　we　came　finally　out　on　the　edge　of　a　cliff　fifty　or　sixty　feet　high；　below　which　lay　uncultivated　bottom　lands　like　a　great　meadow　and　a　little　meandering　stream。　We　descended　the　cliff；　and　camped　by　the　meandering　stream。

By　this　time　we　were　fairly　tired　from　long　walking　in　the　heat；　and　so　were　content　to　sit　down　under　our　tent…fly　before　our　little　table；　and　let　Mahomet　bring　us　sparklets　and　lime　juice。　Before　us　was　the　flat　of　a　meadow　below　the　cliffs　and　the　cliffs　themselves。　Just　below　the　rise　lay　a　single　patch　of　standing　rape　not　over　two　acres　in　extent；　the　only　sign　of　human　life。　It　was　as　though　this　little　bit　had　overflowed　from　the　countless　millions　on　the　plateau　above。　Beyond　it　arose　a　thin　signal　of　smoke。

We　sipped　our　lime　juice　and　rested。　Soon　our　attention　was　attracted　by　the　peculiar　actions　of　a　big　flock　of　very　white　birds。　They　rose　suddenly　from　one　side　of　the　tiny　rape　field；　wheeled　and　swirled　like　leaves　in　the　wind；　and　dropped　down　suddenly　on　the　other　side　the　patch。　After　a　few　moments　they　repeated　the　performance。　The　sun　caught　the　dazzling　white　of　their　plumage。　At　first　we　speculated　on　what　they　might　be；　then　on　what　they　were　doing；　to　behave　in　so　peculiar　a　manner。　The　lime　juice　and　the　armchair　began　to　get　in　their　recuperative　work。　Somehow　the　distance　across　that　flat　did　not　seem　quite　as　tremendous　as　at　first。　Finally　I　picked　up　the　shotgun　and　sauntered　across　to　investigate。　The　cause　of　action　I　soon　determined。　The　owner　of　that　rape　field　turned　out　to　be　an　emaciated；　gray…haired　but　spry　old　savage。　He　was　armed　with　a　spear；　and　at　the　moment　his　chief　business　in　life　seemed　to　be　chasing　a　large　flock　of　white　birds　off　his　grain。　Since　he　had　no　assistance；　and　since　the　birds　held　his　spear　in　justifiable　contempt　as　a　fowling　piece；　he　was　getting　much　exercise　and　few　results。　The　birds　gave　way　before　his　direct　charge；　flopped　over　to　the　other　side；　and　continued　their　meal。　They　had　already　occasioned　considerable　damage；　the　rape　heads　were　bent　and　destroyed　for　a　space　of　perhaps　ten　feet　from　the　outer　edge　of　the　field。　As　this　grain　probably　constituted　the　old　man's　food　supply　for　a　season；　I　did　not　wonder　at　the　vehemence　with　which　he　shook　his　spear　at　his　enemies；　nor　the　apparent　flavour　of　his　language；　though　I　did　marvel　at　his　physical　endurance。　As　for　the　birds；　they　had　become　cynical　and　impudent；　they　barely　fluttered　out　of　the　way。


I　halted　the　old　gentleman　and　hastened　to　explain　that　I　was　neither　a　pirate；　a　robber；　nor　an　oppressor　of　the　poor。　This　as　counter…check　to　his　tendency　to　flee；　leaving　me　in　sole　charge。　He　understood　a　little　Swahili；　and　talked　a　few　words　of　something　he　intended　for　that　language。　By　means　of　our　mutual　accomplishment　in　that　tongue；　and　through　a　more　efficient　sign　language；　I　got　him　to　understand　the　plan　of　campaign。　It　was　very　simple。　I　squatted　down　inside　the　rape；　while　he　went　around　the　other　side　to　scare　them　up。

The　white　birds　uttered　their　peculiarly　derisive　cackle　at　the　old　man　and　flapped　over　to　my　side。　Then　they　were　certainly　an　astonished　lot　of　birds。　I　gave　them　both　barrels　and　dropped　a　pair；　got　two　more　shots　as　they　swung　over　me　and　dropped　another　pair；　and　brought　down　a　straggling　single　as　a　grand　finale。　The　flock；　with　shrill；　derogatory　remarks；　flew　in　an　airline　straight　away。　They　never　deviated；　as　far　as　I　could　follow　them　with　the　eye。　Even　after　they　had　apparently　disappeared；　I　could　catch　an　occasional　flash　of　white　in　the　sun。

Now　the　old　gentleman　came　whooping　around　with　long；　undignified　bounds　to　fall　on　his　face　and　seize　my　foot　in　an　excess　of　gratitude。　He　rose　and　capered　about；　he　rushed　out　and　gathered　in　the　slain　one　by　one　and　laid　them　in　a　pile　at　my　feet。　Then　he　danced　a　jig…step　around　them　and　reviled　them；　and　fell　on　his　face　once　more；　repeating　the　word　〃Bwana！　bwana！　bwana！〃　over　and　over…〃Master！　master！　master！〃　We　returned　to　camp　together；　the　old　gentleman　carrying　the　birds；　and　capering　about　like　a　small　boy；　pouring　forth　a　flood　of　his　sort　of　Swahili；　of　which　I　could　understand　only　a　word　here　and　there。　Memba　Sasa；　very　dignified　and　scornful　of　such　performances；　met　us　halfway　and　took　my　gun。　He　seemed　to　be　able　to　understand　the　old　fellow's　brand　of　Swahili；　and　said　it　over　again　in　a　brand　I　could　understand。　From　it　I　gathered　that　I　was　called　a　marvellously　great　sultan；　a　protector　of　the　poor；　and　other　Arabian　Nights　titles。

The　birds　proved　to　be　white　egrets。　Now　a